Home»Events»Jones Seminar: Smart Sensor System Development for Aerospace Applications

Jones Seminar: Smart Sensor System Development for Aerospace Applications

Gary W. Hunter, NASA Glenn Research Center

Friday, January 26, 2018, 3:30–4:30pm

Rm. 100 (Spanos Auditorium), Cummings Hall

Aerospace applications require a variety of sensing technologies to monitor conditions related to both space exploration and aeronautic aircraft operations. Microsensor platforms and smart sensor systems are under development that can be tailored to measure multiple chemical species for a range of applications. Harsh environment, high temperature sensor system technology is also under development. Specific areas of work include silicon carbide (SiC) based electronic devices, sensors and wireless; thin film physical sensors; chemical species emissions sensors; MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS), as well as integrated and multifunctional sensor systems. Each sensor type has its own technical challenges related to integration and reliability in a given application. This talk will give an overview of this technology development ranging from development of base sensor platforms to the evaluation of more mature systems in relevant environments. Although microsensor systems can have a significant impact on aerospace applications, extensive application testing is necessary for their long-term implementation. It is concluded that the core technologies for smart sensor systems being developed for a range of operational conditions can enable the long-term vision of intelligent vehicle systems in this information age.

About the Speaker

Dr. Gary W. Hunter is the Technical Lead for the Chemical Species Gas Sensors Team and Lead for Intelligent System Hardware in the Smart Sensors and Electronics Systems Branch at NASA Glenn Research Center. Since his arrival at NASA Glenn, he has been involved with the design, fabrication, and testing of sensors. He has worked closely with academia and industry in developing a range of sensor technologies and sensor systems using a number of different sensor materials and sensing approaches. This work has included the use of micro/nano technology as well as the integration of sensor technology into smart systems. Dr. Hunter’s contributions range from research to technical management in fields of research including: high temperature wireless sensors, engine emissions, environmental monitoring, fire detection, and leak detection. He has been involved with projects ranging from: a home product for asthma monitoring; combined space habitats environmental monitoring/fire detection; a Venus seismometer; a flight sensor for detecting leaks on the next NASA launch vehicle; and developing a fundamentally new fabrication method for sensors based on nanotechnology. Technology he has led the development of has been chosen, demonstrated, or applied in applications such as the Space Shuttle, NASA Helios Vehicle, International Space Station, Jet Engine Test Stands, and the Ford Assembly line. In 2007, an activity he co-managed was recognized on one NASA’s Top Discovery Stories for that year. In 2009 and 2017, his group’s patented work was nominated for NASA Invention of the Year. In 2010, he was highlighted in the Who's Who at NASA by NASA Tech Briefs magazine. In 2013, he became a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society. Dr. Hunter has has 9 patents; 2 R&D 100 Awards, and a significant number of papers and invited talks.